Reformation

International Christian Leadership Connections

THE NEW APOSTOLIC REFORMATION

Article by: Dr. Sam Matthews

Jesus has been building His church for almost 2,000 years.  From the first century to the close of this millennium, the church has been in a constant change and process of growth toward maturity.  Each succeeding generation brings greater revelation, manifestation, and results for the Kingdom of God.  The gospel of the kingdom is being preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations (Matthew 24:14).  The people of the nations are responding in unprecedented ways to the message of Christ's love.

What does this mean and how are we to interpret these wonderful events?  We can be shortsighted in our understanding and hold a view that is to narrow when the circumstances warrant a broad view of these events.

Dr. C. Peter Wagner, who for thirty years has been a professor at Fuller Theological Seminary and is widely recognized as a leading authority in the fields of church growth and spiritual warfare, has given a name to the present movement of God that he sees is effecting the nations of the world.  He is seeking to research this movement and to facilitate its growth and effectiveness throughout the earth.

He calls the present move of God "The New Apostolic Reformation." He says that this new move is the fastest growing segment of Christianity on all six continents.  This is a very strong statement.

GOD'S MOVE FOR THE MILLENNIUM

The New Apostolic Reformation is an extraordinary work of God at the close of the twentieth century that is, to a significant extent,changing the shape of Protestant Christianity around the world.

For almost 500 years, Christian churches have largely functioned within traditional denominational structures of one kind or another. Particularly in the 1990s (but with the roots going back for almost acentury), new forms and operational procedures are emerging in areas such as local church government, inter-church relationships, financing, evangelism, missions, prayer, leadership selection and training, the role of supernatural power, worship and other important aspects of church life.  Some of these changes are being seen within denominations themselves, but for the most part they are taking the form of loosely structured apostolic networks. (Dr. C. Peter Wagner)

These statements are very exciting to each of us who are relating together through the ICLC network.  As you read the words of Dr. Wagner you see the elements that give substance and expression to the churchesto whom we all relate. 

Each of us, through our own history and understanding, have heard from God over the last decades that He indeed was leading His church into maturity and power.  The message of the government of God through the five-fold ministry gifts of Ephesians 4:11-16 has been revealed and we have believed that God was advancing His kingdom throughout the earth.  When many of us heard the teachings, not many other people were hearing these things.  Or at least we thought.  However, God was revealing these truths to men and women in every continent of the world.

Yet, we were some of God's servants who were hearing His voice and were choosing to believe and obey His instructions.  As we began sharing these truths with others, we discovered that others were hearing the same things, and still others would embrace the teachings concerning these truths.  Churches were planted, people were saved, and New Testament order and government were established.

Today we realize that the visions imparted, the truths revealed, the obediences walked, and the plans yet to be fulfilled have placed us on the cutting edge of a movement of God which is the fastest growing segment of Christianity on all six continents.  We are not trying or hoping to be involved.  We are some of the leaders in this sovereign move of God.  With the relationships formed and those still forming, we are on the threshold of executing one of the most strategic and systematic outreaches of the 21st century.  We are not networking together because that is the popular thing to do at this moment in the church world.  We are being placed together by the Spirit as He is building His body and placing members of it together for His glory. 

We have over 6000 churches in over 90 nations that our Father is in the process of really seeing them come together.  We are not recruiting people to be involved with us, but the Holy Spirit is uniting hearts together by His own grace and miraculous acts.  We are not joining something, but God is joining us as bone to bone and bringing life to this new body.  Jesus Christ is building His church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it!

We are some of the expressions of our God in this New Apostolic Reformation.  We are apostolic in theology and practice through locally autonomous churches, plurality of eldership, regional and national extended or translocal apostolic teams, and an apostolic company to enhance the maturity and the strategic implementation of the vision throughout the nations.

WE ARE THE NEW APOSTOLIC REFORMATION!  History is being written as we walk these days in obedience to our Lord.  THANK YOU LORD JESUS FOR CALLING US INTO YOUR HARVEST FIELDS OF THE WORLD!